Greetings!
2 Corinthians 9:7 (NASB)
Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
It is hard to imagine a more precious promise than to be the personal object of God's love. All the world's acclaim, honor, and rewards given to all philanthropists put together does not come close to this privilege of being loved by God. Yet that is what He promises the "cheerful giver." God loves the world in a general sense (John 3:16), but He has a deeper, more wonderful love for His own (John 13:1; 1 John 4:16), and a special love for each one of His who gives cheerfully.
"Cheerful" giving comes from inside, from the heart, rather than from external coercion. It begins by giving "just as" one "has purposed in his heart." Once again, Paul stressed the truth that Christian giving is strictly voluntary (see 2 Cor. 8:3). But though it is not forced, neither is it casual, careless, or a mere afterthought. Proaireō ("purposed"), used only here in the New Testament, has the idea of predetermination. Though there is spontaneous joy in giving, it is still to be planned and systematic (1 Cor. 16:2), not impulsive and sporadic. Nor is giving to be done "grudgingly." Lupē ("grudgingly") literally means, “sorrow,” “grief,” or “pain.” Giving is not to be done with an attitude of remorse, regret, or reluctance, of mourning over parting with what is given. And, as noted above, it is not to be "under compulsion" from any legalistic external pressure.
The giving that God approves of comes from "a cheerful giver." "Cheerful" translates hilaros, from which the English word hilarious derives. Happy, joyous givers, who are joyous in view of the privilege of giving, are the special objects of God's love.
While it is possible to give without loving, it is not possible to love without giving. God gives His Son to all believers, but He blesses in a unique way to generous, cheerful givers. In fact, He blesses such believers on such a grand, immense, staggering scale that it beggars language to express it. Trying to convey the magnanimity of God's generosity, Paul resorted to hyperbole, using a form of the word pas ("all") five times in 2 Corinthians 9:8-11. God's gracious giving has no limits; it is off the scale.
2 Corinthians 9:8-11 (NASB)
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; 9 as it is written, "HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER."10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.
- 2 Corinthians 9:8-11 (AMP)
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And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]. 9 As it is written, He [the benevolent person] scatters abroad; He gives to the poor; His deeds of justice and goodness and kindness and benevolence will go on and endure forever! 10 And [God] Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your [resources for] sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness [which manifests itself in active goodness, kindness, and charity]. 11 Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way, so that you can be generous, and [your generosity as it is] administered by us will bring forth thanksgiving to God.
- 2 Corinthians 9:8-11 (NLT2)
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And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” 10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. 11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.
Since giving naturally seems to result in having less, not more, it takes faith to believe that giving will open up God's blessing. Christians must believe that what God has promised to do He "is able" to do. Dunateō ("is able") literally means “has power.” God's power is great (Deut. 4:37; 9:29; Neh. 1:10; Ps. 66:3; 79:11; Jer. 32:17; Nah. 1:3; Rev. 11:17) and is exhibited in creation, providence, miracles, salvation, the resurrections of Jesus Christ and believers, and in the eternal destruction of the wicked in hell. Not surprisingly, then, Paul expressed his concern “that [the Corinthians'] faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:5).
Human wisdom teaches that prosperity comes from grasping for wealth, not from giving it away. But faith trusts in God's promise to bless the giver and in His ability to keep His promises, knowing that He is able to “do exceeding abundantly beyond all that [believers] ask or think” (Eph. 3:20), guard and preserve them (2 Tim. 1:12; Heb. 7:25; Jude 24), help them when they are tempted (Heb. 2:18), and raise them from the dead (Heb. 11:19). Believers, like Abraham, must be “fully assured that what God [has] promised, He [is] able also to perform” (Rom. 4:21).
God gives back magnanimously so as to "make all grace abound" to Christians who give generously. He gives so freely and abundantly that His children will "always" have "all sufficiency in everything." In this context, that refers primarily to material resources, because the harvest must be of the same nature as the seed. Having sown material wealth by their giving, believers will reap an abundant harvest of material blessing in return. God graciously replenishes what they give so that they lack nothing; He will continuously provide the generous giver with the means of further expressing that generosity.
To the Cynic and Stoic philosophers of Paul's day autarkeia ("sufficiency") meant independence from people and circumstances. They viewed such independence as essential to true happiness. But the believer's sufficiency does not come from independence from circumstances but rather from dependence on God. As Paul wrote to the Philippians, “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).
- Romans 4:21 (NASB)
- And being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.
- Romans 4:21 (AMP)
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Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.
The reason God gives back to those who give is not, as prosperity teachers falsely imply and exemplify, so people can consume it on their own desires with bigger cars, homes, and jewels. God supplies them so they will have "an abundance for every good deed." The Lord will fully supply cheerful givers with what they need to use for what is good work to the honor of the Lord. He constantly replenishes what they expend so the cycle of giving and ministering to others can continue.
Generous givers are the people whose lives are most full of righteous deeds.
Lest anyone think this was some radical new social welfare plan he had concocted, Paul cited Psalm 112:9 to show this has always been God's plan. The phrase "as it is written" is the standard New Testament way of introducing an Old Testament quote (Mark 1:2; 7:6; Luke 2:23; 3:4; John 6:31; 12:14-15; Acts 7:42; 15:15; Rom. 1:17; 2:24; 3:4, 10; 4:17; 8:36; 9:13, 33; 10:15; 11:8, 26; 15:3, 9, 21; 1 Cor. 1:31; 2:9; 10:7). Because the generous giver "scatter[s] abroad" and gives "to the poor, his righteousness endures forever." God will replenish and reward him both in time and eternity.
Deuteronomy 15:10-11 also illustrates this point. In verse 10 God declared through Moses,
- Deuteronomy 15:10 (NASB)
- "You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings."
- Deuteronomy 15:10 (NLT2)
- Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do.
Those who were generous to the needy received God's material blessings. But the purpose was not so that they could be like the rich fool in Jesus' parable, who said,
- Luke 12:18-19 (NASB)
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"'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.19 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."'
- Luke 12:18-19 (NLT2)
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‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods.19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
Deuteronomy 15:11 reveals the purpose of God's blessing. Moses reminded his hearers that,
- Deuteronomy 15:11 (NASB)
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"The poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.'"
God's constant resupply allowed them to continually give to meet the needs of others.
Paul reinforced his point with a third Old Testament quote, this one from Isaiah 55:10. That generous giving will impoverish no one is evident since "He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply [their] seed for sowing." God is the One "who supplies seed to the sower" because He created all the earth's vegetation (Gen. 1:11-12). Thus He provides the grain that provides "bread for food." The same God who provides seed for the harvest in the natural world will "multiply" generous givers' "seed for sowing." They sow the seed and then reap the harvest, which in turn provides more seed for sowing in an ever-expanding cycle. The ultimate harvest of generous giving is not only eternal reward, but also temporal blessing in this life for those who “sow with a view to righteousness, [and] reap in accordance with kindness” (Hos. 10:12). They "will be enriched in everything," equipping them "for all liberality" in their giving.
Heavenly Father,
Your gift of the Lord Jesus Christ is the basis for Christian giving.
Jesus was the “grain of wheat [that] falls into the earth and dies,...
but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” You Father planted Jesus as
a seed and reaped a harvest of redeemed people. We are
called to “be imitators of God, as beloved children,” and
we are never more like You than when we give.
Thank you, Father for that opportunity.
Amen.
Proverbs 22:19 (NASB)
So that your trust may be in the LORD, I have taught you today, even you.
Amen.
